This free day-long workshop will enable attendees to learn the nuts-and-bolts of the PCMH standards and in obtaining certification - one of three endorsed by the Health Resources and Services Administration. In addition to hearing from The Joint Commission, there will be an opportunity to network with Michigan Health Centers who have successfully achieved The Joint Commission PCMH certification. For additional information, please email Simmi Isaac.

MPCA Launching Social Determinants of Health Data Collection Project

The Michigan Primary Care Association (MPCA) Enabling Services Team is excited to announce a new project, in partnership with the University of Michigan, to understand how Michigan Health Centers screen new and returning patients for circumstances that can affect their health.

MPCA will take the lead in working directly with Health Centers to gather screening tools currently used to collect patient social determinants of health (SDH) information. Our assessment of the SDH screening will be the first study of its kind to systematically investigate how SDH screening is incorporated into clinical practice across the state. By identifying how and where our Health Centers ask these important screening questions, MPCA hopes to gain a greater understanding of how this information is included as part of the medical visit and how material and social needs are being addressed.

Over the next month, MPCA staff will reach out to Health Center leadership to request paper, print, or electronic copies of any and all screening for patients. In our request, examples of screening tools and details on how Health Centers can return documentation will be provided. Once the collection process is complete, the University of Michigan research fellows and faculty will code and analyze the screening tools. The results of the screening assessment, available in Spring 2016, will help identify a pre-implementation baseline that may be used later for an evaluation of community-focused programs in Michigan.

If you have questions about the SDH Data Collection Project, please contact Julie Tatko or Lydia Starrs.Comment Period Open for Stage 3 EHR Incentive Programs Final Rule

The Michigan Primary Care Association (MPCA) and CMS encourages comments on the Stage 3 provisions by December 15, 2015. CMS is particularly interested in feedback on the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act of 2015 (MACRA), which established the Merit-based Incentive Payment System (MIPS) and consolidates certain aspects of a number of quality measurement and federal incentive programs into one more efficient framework. CMS will use this feedback to inform future policy developments for the EHR Incentive Programs, as well as consider it during rulemaking to implement MACRA.

Comments can be forwarded to Faiyaz Syed for inclusion in MPCA's comments or you may provide your own comments via regulations.gov.

On November 6, 2015, the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) issued a proposed policy to provide clarification of services covered by Medicaid through the Early and Periodic Screening, Diagnosis and Treatment (EPSDT) benefit and to define “medically necessary” as it pertains to that benefit.

The proposed policy draft is available here and is open for public comment through December 10, 2015. The Michigan Primary Care Association is preparing comments on the proposed policy and would appreciate your input. Please review the draft policy and send your feedback to Colleen Healy by COB on November 25, 2015. If you wish to submit your own comments, they may submitted via email to hambletonm@michigan.gov.

MPCA Hiring: A Strategic Data Consultant & A Program Coordinator

Have you worked in the area of data analytics/reporting and have experience with clinical, operational, or financial information in a health care setting? Are you familiar with health care concepts, practices and procedures? Understand the reporting requirements for Federally Qualified Health Centers? Then you should take a look at the Strategic Data Consultant position with the Michigan Primary Care Association (MPCA) Health Information Technology team.

MPCA is also looking for a Program Coordinator who will provide programmatic support including monitoring and reporting of various programs, dashboard development and tracking, as well as coordination of meetings, conference calls and various awareness campaigns. The applicant should have knowledge of community-based health care systems and the Michigan health and human services infrastructure.

Please note that you must be logged in to MPCA’s online community when registering for MPCA-hosted events to receive a discounted rate if your organization is an MPCA member. If you are subscribed to the MPCA eUpdate, you have a profile in MPCA's online community. If you have forgotten your password, please use the "forgot password" link under the sign-in box to reset your password. If you need further assistance, please contact info@mpca.net.

MPCA posts job openings at Michigan Health Center Program grantees, Michigan FQHC Look-Alikes, and MPCA active member organizations. To submit a job opening for posting in the online MPCA Career Center and in the MPCA eUpdate, email the job title, a brief overview, a bulleted list of qualifications, and instructions on how to apply to info@mpca.net with Job Posting in the subject field.

Michigan Health Care Transparency Law Introduced in Michigan Senate

On October 28, 2015, Senators Marleau, Hildenbrand, Knollenberg, Jones, Emmons, Hune, Smith, Robertson, Booher, Horn, MacGregor, Kowall, Green, and Warren introduced Senate Bill 590 entitled the “Michigan Health Care Transparency Law.” This legislation would require the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) to create a “data aggregator” to collect statewide data from health insurers on the cost of health care services rendered by health care providers. The bill would also require the MDHHS Director to publish an annual report showing statewide variation in fees charged by health facilities and professionals; geographic variation in utilization of services; total reimbursement for services, specialties, and CPT codes; and a number of other data points.

By increasing public access to health care use and cost data, this legislation has great potential to facilitate meaningful policy reforms that address the Triple Aim of improving health, improving care, and reducing cost.

Click here to read the Michigan Primary Care Association's (MPCA) 2015 Policy Priority advocating for the creation of an All-Payer Claims Database to learn more about the goals MPCA hopes will be achieved through the proposed legislation. MPCA is closely monitoring the bill and will keep you informed of progress as well as opportunities for advocacy.

Meeting to Review New Medicaid Formulary Scheduled

A meeting of Medicaid Health Maintenance Organizations (HMO) to review a proposed new common formulary to be used by all groups is scheduled for November 19, 2015, from 9:30 am to 12 pm ET at the Lansing Community College - West Auditorium, located at 5708 Cornerstone Drive, in Lansing, Michigan.

The final formulary is to be posted by the state on January 1. The HMOs will then have until March 31 to code and test the formulary. Transitioning to the new formulary will then take place from April 1 to September 30, with the new formulary in use by the HMOs by the start of the 2016-17 fiscal year.

The meeting will give the HMOs, along with the public the ability to comment on the proposed formulary.

MIChild Program Converted to Medicaid Expansion Program Effective 1/1/16

On November 9, 2015, the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services announced the MIChild program will be converted to a Medicaid expansion program effective January 1, 2016.

All currently enrolled MIChild households will receive a letter informing them of this transition, when this will happen, and what to do next. Children who are currently enrolled in MIChild will automatically be transitioned from their current health plan to a Medicaid Health Plan or Fee-for-Service. Many individuals will stay in the same health plan and will keep their same provider(s). There will be no gap in coverage and individuals will have access to more benefits because of this change.

Although individuals will be enrolled in a Medicaid expansion program, the program will continue to be referred to as the MIChild program.

Urge Congress to Support the National Health Service Corps

As you may know, the National Health Service Corps (NHSC) is a federal program administered by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) to provide scholarships and loan repayment support to primary care medical, dental, and mental/behavioral health clinicians providing services in Health Professional Shortage Areas (HPSAs). The NHSC is an important tool for Health Centers to recruit health professionals to provide care in underserved areas.

Fortunately, funding for both Health Centers and the NHSC was extended through 2017 earlier this year. Though we are grateful for this success, we now need to urge Congress to further strengthen the program through the annual appropriations process. Specifically, we are urging Congress to fully fund the President's funding request for the NHSC.

Please click here to visit the Campaign to Save the NHSC website, an initiative led by the Association of Clinicians for the Underserved (ACU). Click here to read the ACU's Policy Paper on NHSC Funding. You are encouraged to contact your Members of Congress by email or telephone to request their support for the NHSC. You can use email language included on the Campaign to Save the NHSC website (linked above), and you may click here to find contact information for your elected officials.

HRSA Seeking Grant Reviewers

The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) Bureau of Health Workforce is seeking new and experienced grant reviewers to strengthen its Objective Review Committee process. If you are interested in more information or to apply, visit Reviewer Recruitment Module Portal Page.